If you'll allow me to pick nits, as the saying goes, I think this is rather stupid:

The demographics of the crowd [at this weekend's anti-war protest] had changed. As opposition to the war in
Iraq mounts, sparked by the president's decision to send 21,500 more
troops, protesting against it has become mainstream. There were plenty
of professional protesters in evidence Saturday, the kind for whom
protests are a lifestyle choice, but there were also more yuppies, more
families with small children, more older people and even a fair number
of stylishly dressed young girls in North Face jackets and Ralph Lauren
sunglasses.

Not because I disagree that the crowd shown on tv seemed to be diverse and full of rational folks. But because, frankly, I have yet to see an anti-war march or gathering or meeting of any sort that was entirely made up of wacky anarchist puppeteers. I posted my photos from the RNC protests in 2004 -- totally normal fucking people, including regular tri-state area residents with kids and/or gray hair.

This bugs because it's just giving creedence to the idea that people who called bullshit on this war when it started were whack and would have protested kale harvesting practices had there not been a war available. Or that they were clued in to some radical underground ideas not available to the rest of the population. And, fuck, that's just not true.

"Normal" people have been against this war all along, and they've been protesting and talking about it. The media just chose not to see it because crazy anarchist cheerleaders with giant puppets is a waaaay more compelling storyline.

(And don't even get me started on the fact that, oh my GOD, people who actually have fun, creative protest methods must be insane communist teens! How horrifying, that young people would express their anger over an illegal war in a way that doesn't involve a tersely worded email to their congressperson!)

January 27, 2007

Realization: it is indeed possible that I own too many pink things. And too frequently wear them simultaneously. Witness the chair next to my desk at work. Ahem. This is not even counting the pink sweater, socks and various underthings. Uhm, does this make me officially five years old? Should I even disclose that there's a Hello Kitty radio right next to this pinkstravaganza?

January 26, 2007

OMFG, love! Princess, the football picking camel! New Jersey, you are making my heart swell. But Princess, I must say, I just hate that Peyton "Crybaby" Manning, so I am going to have to pick the Bears.

(I found this link because I was making a donation to the ResQ fund after reading about their great work after a horrible crime on Gothamist. I hope you'll make a donation also.)

January 24, 2007

Hey, I want to give props to Bush for his niceness to The Nancinator (err, Nancy Pelosi) last night. As the father of 2 girls, I would hope he felt that way, but you know, it's good to say it out loud. No matter how much I loathe you, Bush, I think that was pretty cool. (Also, hey, not a half-bad speechagraph about immigration. The rest of it...eh, not so much. But you knew I would say that, I expect.)

OMG, why did Bergen County smell like waffles last night??? Was that delicious cyanide or tasty serin gas or something? Seriously, if that's the future of terrorism, clearly I will die first because I had my head out the window of our apartment enjoying the happy smell of waffley goodness for about 30 minutes!

January 23, 2007

The [President's] plan calls for employer-provided health care benefits to be counted as taxable income for the first time.

Uhm, what? Now, being a Democrat, you know my ass loves taxes (ahem), but for reals? The entire plan sounds cracked out ("Yes, if only the working poor's accountants could find them the appropriate tax break, I am sure they'd buy healthcare!"), with the icing on the cake being to tax folks who have the good fortune to have the only meaningful benefit employers bother to provide anymore. Wouldn't it make more sense to, oh, tax the companies who don't offer their employees healthcare? (Not unlike the kinda quirkily-reasoned-but-interesting Massachusettts plan maybe?)

Well, at least healthcare is, you know, an actual real thing to discuss in the State of the Union address, unlike last year's Anti-Island of Dr. Moreau Initiative.